Stress affects everyone differently. You're probably already aware, but stress doesn't care who you are or what you do—you're most likely going to experience it at many different times in your life.
Stress-related symptoms include: tense muscles, tension through body, chronic headaches, migraines, overproduced adrenaline, heart issues, digestive issues, high blood pressure, higher pulse and difficulty breathing. All of these things may lead to high anxiety and panic attacks which are, in short, pretty self-explanatory. Chronic and long-term stress can lead to loss of hair, insomnia, suicidal tendencies and a risk of cardiovascular disease.
It is important to note that if you, or someone that you know, is experiencing ANY of these symptoms and they are beginning to feel unbearable, seek professional help!
CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM
This is the part of the brain that contains the "flight or fight" response and also the "rest and relaxation" response. You've probably heard these terms from an introductory psychology class...but here's a refresher. The "fight or flight" response is the thing that is responsible for the reaction your body takes when it is introduced to something stressful, or something panic evoking. The "rest and relaxation" response is the thing that helps return your body functioning to homeostasis after a "fight or flight" response.
DIGESTIVE SYSTEM
Your liver produces more glucose under stress to give your body energy. When excessive glucose is released, it is sent to the bloodstream and if your body is stressing itself, the body is unable to reabsorb all that the liver has reduced and therefore could lead to Type 2 Diabetes down the line. Rapid breathing, rush of hormones, and overworked heart can be uncomfortable on the digestive system. Nausea, vomiting, and stomach aches have an increased tendency to happen when the digestive system is under stress. Stomach ulcers are more likely to occur when the body is under continual stress because excess hydrochloric acid is prdoduced and can create heart burn.
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
When your body is under stress, you start breathing faster. When your breathing increases, your oxygen levels drop and the increase of carbon dioxide entering the body increases. Existing conditions like emphysema and asthma can make it harder to breathe when more stress is introduced to the body.
CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM
Your heart overworks itself under stress and your vessels constrict due to an overflowing of hormones into the blood system therefore increasing your blood pressure. Due to hypertension, or high blood pressure, cardiovascular diseases such as stroke and heart attack are more likely to occur.
MUSCULAR SYSTEM
Your muscles tense up to protect itself from injury. During stressful moments, it is not uncommon to recall yourself feeling like your whole body is tightening up. Eventually, you feel your body relaxing; this is the body releasing hormones to help it relax. Being under constant stress causes your muscles to always be tightened and never relaxed. Tightened muscles lead to headaches, muscle pain and more body aches. Down the line this may result in the need for pain medication and possibly, abuse.
IMMUNE SYSTEM
When stress is present in normal amounts in your body, it helps heal wounds and infections. However, when stress increases in the body, it makes a person more susceptible to diseases such as the flu and the common cold. Recovery from illnesses also takes longer because the immune system is compromised. This happens because cortisol inhibits the body's response to dealing with foreign invaders, or the things that enter your body from the outside environment and get you sick.
REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM
Men and women deal with stress differently. In women, sex drive will decrease and menstruation may halt altogether or make periods heavier. In men, it will increase due to overproduction of testosterone for the short term. Stress is very hard on not only the body, but also the mind. Overtime, testosterone levels can decrease due to chronic stress and therefore interfere with sperm production.
College can be very stressful. If you're one of the rare people who is lucky enough to get enough sleep without copious amounts of caffeine...consider yourself lucky! Increased sodium and caffeine to the body can lead to complications of their own (i.e. kidney stones). While it is super important to work hard academically, it's also essential to take care of your body.
